Possessive article 'Ihr' (your, formal)
Possessivartikel 'Ihr' (your, formal)
'Ihr' (your, formal) is the polite (for 'Sie'); always capitalized.
Structure
Ihr (m/n) / Ihre (f/pl) + Nomen (immer groß)
Ihr (m/n) / Ihre (f/pl) + noun (always capitalised)
Details
- Part of Speech
- Article
- Word Type
- Possessive article
- Register
- Formal
Explanation
Ihr (always capitalized) means your in the polite form - it is the of formal Sie. Use it for one or more people you do not know well.
The ending follows the OWNED noun, not the owner, and the word is always written with a capital I, which is the only way to tell it apart from ihr (her/their).
The forms (nominative):
- masculine: Ihr - Ihr Hund (your dog)
- neuter: Ihr - Ihr Auto (your car)
- feminine: Ihre - Ihre Frau (your wife)
- : Ihre - Ihre Kinder (your children)
Examples:
- Ist das Ihr Hund? - Is that your dog?
- Wie ist Ihre Adresse? - What is your address?
- Sind das Ihre Koffer? - Are these your suitcases?
Common mistakes:
- Writing it lowercase - ihr Hund would mean her/their dog, not your.
- masculine adds -en: Ich sehe Ihren Hund (I see your dog).
About Possessive article 'Ihr' (your, formal)
'Ihr' (your, formal) is the polite (for 'Sie'); always capitalized.
of formal 'Sie'; always capitalized (Ihr/Ihre).
'Ihr' ist das höfliche zu 'Sie'; immer großgeschrieben.
Caution
Always capitalize the formal 'Ihr' to tell it apart from 'ihr' (her/their).